At Between the Lines, we hear you, and we know that your voice matters, too.

We publish essays and non-fiction poetry on a wide range of social issues—from the politics of the refugee crisis in Europe to the Black Lives Matter movement; from wage inequality to the attack on women’s health; from bullying to the widening gap between the 1% and the 99%; to name but a few topics that we would consider publishing.

Achy ObejasJudge for the 2016 Celestine Award in PoetryAchy Obejas is an accomplished author of poetry, fiction, and journalism, as well as a literary translator. Born in Cuba, she grew up in Indiana and has lived in Illinois and California. She earned a National Endowment for the Arts in Poetry, and her book of poetry, This Is What Happened in Our Other Life, was critically acclaimed. She has won numerous awards for her writing, including a Pulitzer Prize, the Studs Terkel Journalism Prize, two Lambda literary awards, and a USA Ford Fellowship. Her celebrated novels include Memory Mambo, Days of Awe, and Ruins. Her journalism career spans many notable publications, such as The Advocate, The Chicago Tribune, The Nation, Vanity Fair, Village Voice, Vogue, and The Washington Post. A distinguished college and university writing professor, she currently teaches at Mills College.

Faith AdieleJudge for the 2016 Anthony Award in ProseFaith Adiele is a gifted author, speaker, and mentor. A seasoned traveler and the poster-child of diversity, Adiele has lived in South Africa and East Asia, extending her writing experience to the reaches of Bali, Switzerland, and Ghana, to name a few countries. She earned the PEN Beyond Margins Award for Best Memoir of 2004 for her travel memoir Meeting Faith as well as a myriad of other awards and accomplishments that include a UNESCO International Artists Bursary, the Millennium Award from Creative Nonfiction, and 16 artists’ residencies in Brazil, Canada, Italy, and the USA. Currently, Adiele is a member of the San Francisco Writers’ Grotto and serves as Associate Professor of Writing at California College of the Arts.